We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Benjamin Greene a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Benjamin, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Risking taking is a huge part of most people’s story but too often society overlooks those risks and only focuses on where you are today. Can you talk to us about a risk you’ve taken – it could be a big risk or a small one – but walk us through the backstory.

For years, I planned to be an elementary school teacher. I spent my young years volunteering in classrooms and began college as part of an elementary education certification track. Then, I had an opportunity to give a TEDx talk about my experiences coming out as transgender at a young age, which I thought would end the chapter of the advocacy work I’d been doing since the day I came out. Instead, it opened a whole new book!

The video of my talk went viral, and I realized that I had an opportunity to do so much good in the world around me. After a few months of doing occasional speaking engagements for companies who’d seen the video, I decided to leave my education program with a guaranteed career, graduate college early, and start my own business as a public speaker.

There were so many elements of this that were risky, but the biggest was that I was prepared to face hate at every turn. The transgender community is deeply politicized and has spent years in the spotlight as the most popular scapegoat of the moment, and I expected the people I met to act accordingly. Instead, what I found everywhere I went was curiosity. I have traveled to deep red states, rural areas, manufacturing plants, religious communities, and other places where I braced myself for the worst and instead found folks grateful that I was willing to be patient, honest, and non-judgmental.

I have been so fortunate to be able to safely continue this work, and to be able to realize how many people just want to learn but aren’t sure what they can ask.

Benjamin, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I came out as transgender at 15 years old in a small town and it fell to me to develop every support system as I realized I needed them. I taught our health classes, trained our guidance staff, helped write our policies, and supported other students through their own journies, and it was exhausting. In my career, I set out to help others build those support systems so that trans and queer folks get to be supported by default.

That mission brings me to workplaces, hospitals, schools, religious organizations, parenting groups, nonprofits, and other spaces where I’m able to help deliver trainings to spread understanding and empathy for the transgender community.

This also extends to political advocacy; I live in St. Louis Missouri and often travel to our state capitol to testify on behalf of the LGBTQ+ community in support of transgender youth.

I am also publishing a book this upcoming May about supporting transgender youth from a joy-centered approach rather than the typical focus on parental grief and transgender misery that many books seem to take.

Everything I do falls under the same principal: I don’t care where you’re starting from, I’m just glad you’re starting.

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

One of the biggest lessons I had to unlearn was that, specifically as a business owner and advocate, I don’t actually have competition. Because my career goal isn’t to become the wealthiest but rather to do so much trans inclusion that there isn’t anything left to do, I don’t have anything I consider a “trade secret” and share openly with folks hoping to get into my line of work. I share pricing, contracts, marketing suggestions, etc. I’ve also realized that building a strong community of folks who look to me as a mentor means that they are very likely to bring up my name for events they’re a part of or in conversations about this industry, and I believe my generosity in sharing what I’ve learned about building an identity-based speaking business is a major part of my current brand as a very trustworthy individual.

How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?

Leaving my door open for questions, though at times requiring high amounts of free labor, established me as a kind and helpful individual. I often have people ask for help with challenging situations with employees or personal questions about family members. I also share a significant amount of my expertise for free on social media without expectation of payment.

8 times out of 10, someone I put in time, effort, and care to support hires me for an engagement at their workplace or their organization. I think folks can tell that I see them as humans, not just as potential clients, and they appreciate the genuine nature of our relationship.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.bgtranstalks.com
• Instagram: @pseudo.bro
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ben-greene-692322190/

Image Credits
RALPH ALSWANG